The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private First Class John R. Winans (MCSN: 1104036), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving with Company C, First Tank Battalion, FIRST Marine Division (Reinforced), in action against enemy aggressor forces in Korea on 28 April 1953. Observing a fellow Marine who apparently was in difficulty and was drifting across a river in a boat toward enemy positions, Private First Class Winans, along with three Koreans, immediately left the shore in a small craft and headed toward the helpless Marine despite heavy machine gun fire from hostile emplacements on the opposite shore. After overtaking the drifting boat approximately twenty-five hundred yards from shore, he leaped into it, directed the occupant to lie on the bottom of the craft and, exposing himself to the enemy fire, quickly began to row toward the friendly shore. When the boat was mistaken as hostile by friendly machine gun emplacements which started firing, wounding one of the Koreans who leaped into the craft with him, Private First Class Winans tied a rope around himself and slid into the extremely cold water, swimming toward shore while towing the boat behind him. Reaching the friendly shore after swimming for approximately two hours, he collapsed from exposure to the icy water. By his courage, determination and selfless efforts in behalf of others at great personal risk, Private First Class Winans upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.